Roxie was thinking about killing herself and her baby early in the book. She figured out a way to save her child, but why did she decide not to go through with killing herself?

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2000

Answers

I think this is because when she was planning to kill her son, she said she didn't want to desert him, she was going to kill herself so that she could "go with him" but once she figured out that she didn't have to kill him in order to save him, she no longer felt the need to kill herself either.

-- Anonymous, March 03, 2000

I agree with what Amelia said and in addition to that I also believe that she wanted to see her baby grow into a man. As a mother I think that maternal instinct will usually overpower depression (as it should). I also believe that it may not totally been a conscious decision. There may have been a small glimpse of the possibility of the blackmail we see later in the story. I think that she fed on that for a while after it became conscious thought and knew that she would be able to make it work for a little while, if not for a long while.

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2000

The reason why Roxie decided to switch the babies instead of killing herself and her son was simple. She found a new way to save her child so instead of killing him and never being able to see him again, she switched the children. This way she could still be a part of her child's life and he would have (or so she thought at the time), a better life and become a better person.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2000

Roxie figured a way out to save her child, so she had no reason to kill herself. She thought she would be able to watch her son grow.

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2000

I feel that Roxie figured out a way for her son to have a good life where she could watch him grow and change. She also figured by changing the babies her son would lead a better life and have stuff that she could never give him. However she never imagioned that he would grow into such a mean and hateful person.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2000

Roxy wanted a better life for her baby. She wanted him to grow up with a good life and good home... She didn't want him to to live as a black slave with very few benefits, but in the end it backfired as he became selfish, arrogant and conceited.

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2000

If Roxy was there to protect her child, her life would somehow have meaning. If she could help raise him and be around him, that was enough for her.

-- Anonymous, June 13, 2000